Help needed before we get back on the road again(rough idle)

[veganexplorers]

We have a 1980 Vanagon.

We have driven over 4500km's (now in Banff, Alberta) and haven't had a problem until now....
Before we left we did a lot of preventative maintenance - changed all the plugs, new fuel filter, new air filter, new wires, new distributor cap, new rotor.

It's not idling well. We are definitely rookies when it comes to diagnosing problems and working on our van, so we need some help figuring this one out.

Doesn't matter if it's cold or warm, it idles low and chugs and chugs until it usually stalls. When we have to stop and accelerate to go again it hesitates and most often stalls unless we rev it first before letting the clutch off.

We have ran the gas tank low on a couple of occasions...really low.
We checked our spark and it's bluey-orange. We had the timing checked -perfect. Checked the battery and its 12.4 when idling and when reved high 13.5.

I'll be checking often, so please let us know if you need more information. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. We would like to get back on the road ASAP, but we don't want to keep driving it until we figure this out. We can get parts if needed, but tomorrow is our last day to do that.

[azenlunatic]

Have you performed a compression check?

-Rob

[RCB]

Running real low on fuel can cause the sleeping dogs lurking in the bowels of your 30 year old fuel tank, to plug up your fuel filter

Do you have an 02 sensor and a catalytic converter and a cylinder head temp sensor..

[Wildthings]

A good place to start is to pour a bottle of FI cleaner into the gas tank.

You should probably also do a very thorough search for vacuum leaks. They are all too common and can be very hard to find. To be successful you need to pull each and every hose and elbow and do both a visual and a suction test. These things tend to rot out on the bottom side where you just can't see the problem until you pull the hose completely off.

[veganexplorers]

[veganexplorers]

[veganexplorers]

[Vanaman]

Replace your fuel filter. You may have the white box type fuel filter that easly plugs, running it low may have done it in. Napa gets them over night in my area and they only run $3.00. I'd also pull the old plasic vacuum lines and replace them, fuel line would work in a pinch, just get as close to the same inside diameter as possible. Check and make sure all hoses and or tubing are connected and fit well into where they go. Hope that helps and give your little one a hug.
_________________
'80 Westy "The Hummingbird Messanger"

[IdahoDoug]

I'd also go for the fuel filter as a first (and cheap) and easy move. If indeed crud came out of the fuel tank and plugged the filter greatly, then the fuel pump has a hard time. If the fuel pump is old, this can make pushing fuel difficult for it.

You can use a variety of fuel filters just to test if yours was plugged - anything that will fit your fuel lines on each end will do the job.

You'll know very quickly if this helped - literally a minute or two after starting things will be different and if they're not, move on to something else.

Have you been on rough roads that the van's not normally on? If so, there's a chance your catalytic converter (small muffler) or the muffler itself have had large rusted circular plates in side them come loose and get pushed against the opening by exhaust pressure. You'll hear a "strained" higher pitched sound of air at the muffler at idle rather than a fairly smooth lower sound of air easily passing out.

Have a can of starter fluid on hand which you fire into the air cleaner intake. If things get worse and it won't start easily this can help on a cold morning and it's cheap. Follow the directions and don't use it if the vehicle backfires. Have a fire conditioner on hand and out.

It's a beautiful place to be stranded up there!!!
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[pioneer1]

Hi: When you replace the fuel filter,catch some of the fuel that spills into a clear plastic cup=examine for water in the fuel=water sinks to the bottom and is easy to see. If there is water,you may have issues with the grommets and overflow tanks in the fuel system obtained while driving in the wet weather. Good luck
_________________
"Always waiting for tomorrow ruined everything"

'85 Porsche 911 Targa

'76 Westfalia project

[reluctantartist]

Is this a Canadian, or US (Federal) or US (California) vanagon? That will tell us a lot more if the fuel filter fix does not work. Each of those vanagon is slightly different and requires a little different trouble shooting.
_________________
1982 Westy, 1974 412 Variant... Yes, Aircooled's are great! Oh and I do have modern computer controlled vehicles too, but I just don't care about them.

[DAIZEE]

This may not be a factor but perhaps it is a consideration. I believe that van was normally operated at relatively low elevation Central Ontario (Muskokas). Now it is in the Rockies at a much higher elevation. Does that affect the fuel somehow or other?
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[Vanaman]

[veganexplorers]

Great. We'll start by changing the fuel filter tomorrow morning and I'll update the post with the results!

Thanks!

[Wildthings]

A clogged fuel filter is more apt to affect operation at full throttle than at idle. Not saying that you shouldn't change it as it is a cheap place to start. Just not sure it's the problem.

What happens if you turn the engine over by hand for at least two revolutions. You should feel the same compression on all cylinders?

I would still lean towards a vacuum leak, vacuum leaks are more likely to cause problems at idle than at other times. From experience I can tell you they are very hard to find unless you pull each and every hose. I have never found propane, starter fluid, etc all that affective at finding leaks. A complete removal of each hose so that you can do a visual and suction test is what is required.

A lot of times leaks are accumulative. A little leakage here and a little leakage there add up to a big leak over all. When I bought my new to me Thing this spring there wasn't a single hose on the engine that didn't leak some air. All together the leaks made it impossible to tune the carb for a normal idle.

[Captain Pike]

Eons ago I hade the same make and problem. Blue Sillycone in the fuel filter. The PO had done some halfassed repair and this booger broke loose and clotted the filter to the point it wouldn't even idle.You don't even need a new one to see if yours is clogged. Get a catch pan and pull off the hose and see if gas spills out. .easy.
_________________
LEARN TO SELF RESCUE
59 Panel bus, 1966 Single cab. 73' 181. 73 Westy. 91' H6 Vanagon 3.3L.
.....................All Current.......................

[CalgaryMcLean]

Was it doing this before you got to Calgary and had the timing checked? Or did it only start doing this after you had the timing checked? Anything else adjusted at this time?

I would really double and triple check for anything (wire, hose, etc) that might have got bumped loose the last time the engine was worked on.

[veganexplorers]

[reluctantartist]

I am going to assume this is a Canadian model vanagon. You do not have a catalytic converter or an oxygen sensor, but you do have an EGR and the filter usually rusts out and gets a hole in it causing a vacuum leak besides the usual hoses and rubber pieces. If the fuel filter does not fix it and it is not a vacuum leak, then you need to get a voltmeter and a fuel pressure gauge to do some of the other checks. It would most likely be a faulty temperature sensor (volt meter needed to check) or part of the cold start system that is failing (volt meter is needed for some of the checks), or a fuel delivery problem due to clogged injectors or a faulty pressure regulator (fuel pressure gauge needed to check), or possibly the air flow meter (volt meter needed to check this).

Keep us updated.
_________________
1982 Westy, 1974 412 Variant... Yes, Aircooled's are great! Oh and I do have modern computer controlled vehicles too, but I just don't care about them.

[veganexplorers]

Just did the fuel filter....still chugging.
On to the check for leaks...What's the best way to check for leaks. Remove one hose do a visual and then put it back on? How do I do a suction test?